Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-11-05
THE CONDOR IN CHILL.
A HERD OF CATTLE sTAMPEDEp BY
THE BIG BIRDS.
Eavenous Pirates of the Air Attack y
steer-A nrute in tho Agony of Death.
Villagers,

Victory for the Vul.ures - vindictive
Villagers.
The little village where was staring in
Chih lay at the very base of the Andes,
with about n mile OF plain stretching away
TO the ocean. At sunrise on the very
first morning l was in the place I was
awakened by Il great commotion among
the populacc. Springing from the palm
mattress on which | had been sleeping,
looked out of the low window of nv
apartment. Men. women and children
were running through the narrow streets
yelling wildly. and men on horseback
dashed away across the plain. in which di-
recfion the excited mob Of villagers was
tending. \ roar as though hurricane
We're passing came up from the plain,
ana there was tremcr in the earth
that alarmed me. l inquired what
the trouble was, and was told that il
was nothing but the condors, which
had come down that morning in
large force from the mountains and were
even then engaged in selecting cattle
from the village herd Looking across
the plain | discovered for the first time
that great cloud of dust covered it for
wide area, from which came the roar
and the tremOr that had alarmed me.
The cloud and the roar and the tremor
were made by the nerd dashing furiously
about on the plain, fleeing IN terror be-
fore the pursuit Of the coudurs Quickly
saddling my horse, which was quartered
in the small inn yard, | dashed away
across the plain To enjoy close view of
the disturbance and see what its outcome
would be, passing on my way iahbering
and shouting groups of Vi Layers hurry
ing on afoot toward the flying cloud of
dust, in which were hidden the common
property Of the place and its ravenoIs and
foe
As rode up 10 within dozen rods Of
the stampcdcd cattle, one Of the herd
burst suddenly from the dense volume OF
dust. Four immense condors followed il,
and, swooping down upon it. tore at its
flesh with their great claws and pune
tGred and laccrated it with their strong
beaks. The animals eyes We're blood
shot and were wild with terror. Its bel
lowings were terrible to hear. 1t lashed
it, tail in agony against its torn and
bleeding sides, and rushed aimlessly in
nil directions, whhe the huge vultures
beat against it and slashed and ripped it
with beak and claws. While | galloped
along and watched this sickening mutila-
lioa OF this helpless steer the herd dashed
OH. and every condor that was following
it seemed to abandon it. and, whetted by
he scent Of the blood that flowed from the
steer, joined in its mad pursuit.
the poor beast sped over the
ground like the fieetest racer, the attack
ing birds kept close hy its side. plyipp
hai fnrrill,, lao. l-,,, -,
free from the assaults of the condors,
came 10 a stop mile or SO away, and the
mounted her,lsrien dashed back to the
Gene l was watching. They carried
assos and spurrcd their horses after the
steer, which was now closely followed by
he whole field Of vultures. The process
sion of following villagers had also ar
lived at the spot and, hu,idled about in |
noisy groups. hurled many Spanish curses |
1t tine bold flock of condors that was
one of their best animals be- |
lore their very eyes.
Following the belcaCuered steer, and |
:irciiHg around il as it dashed here and |
here in its vain attempts to escape from |
he torture TO which its cruel pursuers |
we're subjecting il, the herdSmen cast |
heir lariats again and again, and after |
'everal attempts each lassoed a condor. |
)nce the poor steer. us if looking to US for |
assistance in his extremity, rnshed in |
lmong the horseinen and crowds Of spec |
ators. Regardless of our presence the |
desperate condors clung to his bleeding |
.ides or dashed along in his wake The |
ioomed animal was black with dust and |
dreaming with blood from a hundred |
The excited crowd scattered be- |
ore the advance of the steer, and the |
assoers, having strangled to death the |
ondors they had captured, advanced |
gain to cast their lariats.
The steer circied around in stumbling |
md unsteady way. He carried his head |
ugh, and once staggered and fell With a |
.reat effort he regained his feet and once |
.lore moved toward the crowd of specta-
ors. Bloody foam dropped in great masses
rom his mouth. His loud cries of agony |
,ad changed to husky means. His tongue,
ed and swollen, hung ut full length from
lis mouth. AS he passed me u huge con
or dashed forward, seized the steers
ongue in its beak and wrenched it out by
ne roots. The steer threw his head up
With a heartrending cry, and then / saw
wo hideous, sightless cavities, dripping
'lood. where his eyes had been plucked
rom their sockets.
The spot where the steer had been |
eparated by the condOrs from the herd
vas not more than an eighth Of a mile
rom the sea shore. and the animal had |
'een dashing madly about on the plain,
ircling and zigzarGinG here and there
Without drawing any nearer to the water.
tongueless and sightless, and
offering and rapidly weakening under
lis myriad wounds. he wheeled. turned
lis head toward the ocean and, gathering
imsclf as if for II last desperate effort,
ashcd madly away in that direction.
'lunGing and reeliag onward and still
ursued by every ravenous vulture, the
wing steer rushed straight for the surf
Ic reached the margin of the sea and
ell dead with his head in the waves.
score of beaks We're tear
~ the dead animals flesh from his
ones. l spurred my horse forward
nd galloped to the spot where the vul-
ures were stripping the carcass. When
reached the beach the great birds rose
lZily, one after another, from the feast
nj floated upward in oblique circles
ntil they We're mere specks against the
n'wy submits of the Andes. A skeleton.
af submerged by the tide, marked
rhere the tortured steer had fallen.
hen returned across the plain vindic-
ire villagers were kicking the three
lssoel condors about and stamping them
nto the ground, kissing curses between
beir teeth at every kick. IN the distance
he lately disturbed herd was grazing
uietly, as il no condor had ever threat
ned the peace Of its Gomain.-Ed. Mott
0 New York 9,ail and Express.